News
Docs urge public to get jabbed as Covid spreads fast
By Chaminda Silva
Warning that the omicron variant of coronavirus was spreading rapidly in the country, medical professionals have urged the public to get vaccinated.College of Internal Medicine President and Colombo National Hospital (NHSL) Physician Dr Harsha Satischandra said that there were 325 COVID-19 patients receiving treatment at the NHSL and of them 75 patients were on oxygen support.
Dr. Satischandra said that the majority of patients dependent on intensive care were not fully vaccinated; they had received either one or two doses each.”Sri Lanka has 2.8 million persons over 60 years. Of them, only 1.5 million have received the booster dose. That is 1.3 million persons over 60 years are not fully vaccinated,” Dr Satischandra said.
Sri Lanka Medical Association, Vice President and paediatrician, Dr Surantha Perera said that measures like a lockdown or closing of schools were not practical and it was the vaccine that helped control the spread of COVID-19 effectively. He said that there was a drop in the number of persons in the 16-19 age group getting vaccinated. “This could be due to the ongoing A/L examinations. However, students can get vaccinated after the examination. It was with great difficulty that we reopened schools.”
Dr Perera said that 1.3 million persons between 16 to 19 years had received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and administration of the second dose for this age group had begun. Discussions were also being held on the second dose for children between 12 and 15 years.
Medical Research Institute Consultant Immunologist Dr Rajiva de Silva said that protection provided by COVID-19 vaccines against the BA.1 and BA.2 sub-lineages of Omicron were the same.”Omicron has divided into BA.1 and BA.2. BA.2, which has been detected in the country as well as other countries, is 50% more transmissible than BA.1. However, it is said that BA.2 is not as severe as BA.1,” Dr de Silva said.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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